Public & Private Improvements

Through a collaborative process involving the owner of the Burlington Town Center- Devonwood Investors, LLC, the residents of Burlington, the Development Agreement Public Advisory Committee (DAPAC), and the City, plans for the redevelopment of the site have evolved several times over nearly two years.

In response to the community’s input and numerous discussions with City boards and commissions, Devonwood’s initial concepts underwent several significant design iterations and programming changes from late 2014 until the plans were approved by the DRB in March 2017. As this collaborative process advanced through the milestones outlined in the Predevelopment Agreement, Devonwood continued to incorporate additional modifications into the plans for the site. The most current plans have evolved to accommodate many of the central goals of planBTV Downtown & Waterfront, including the redevelopment of a key site in the core of downtown, the reconnection of two streets that were foreclosed by urban renewal, and the addition of multi-family housing in downtown Burlington. These plans were unanimously approved by the Development Review Board (DRB) in March 2017.

The plans approved by the DRB for the site are consistent with and meet the requirements of the adopted Downtown Mixed-Use Core Overlay zoning, which was approved by Burlington voters on November 8, 2016. Additionally, voters approved the TIF ballot item related to the public investments in adjancent streets and infrastructure. The plans now include the following public and private improvements:

Rendering of BTC Redevelopment from the corner of Cherry & Pine Streets. Click to enlarge image.

272 Housing Units- 20% of these units (55 units) will be affordable to residents earning 65% of the Area Median Income, and all market and inclusionary units will be mixed throughout to promote equity and community. Up to 80 units may be rented to students via a master lease with Champlain College

Opportunity to explore creation of a district energy system to provide heat and hot water to downtown customers

October 2016 Plan Modifications

In October 2016, Devonwood released updated proposed plans for the BTC Redevelopmentthat responded to suggestions from the public and the City's Boards and Commissions collected over the summer and fall. These plans met all of the requirements of the DMUC zoning. The key changes to the design and programming are summarized here, and included:

Above: View looking south on St. Paul Street from new Transit Center. Below: Project Massing from Bank Street. (Click to enlarge images.)

Elimination of the partially underground, interior corridor to abolish the last vestiges of the old, suburban-style mall and bring all retail and services directly to the public streets

New apartment arrangment lightens and reduces the mass of the upper stories; apartments now buffer the parking garage from the streets on Bank and Cherry Street facades

Retains 20% of the apartment units as affordable, mixes market-rate and affordable units throughout the project to promote community and equity

Creates a new Church Street facade, but retains the current height on Church Street, and eliminates the previously proposed Phase 2 building between Church Street and the new St. Paul Street.

Incorporates the DMUC's highly prescriptive design standards with greater use of brick, more facade articulation, window/facade treatment in keeping with nearby buildings, reduced upper story massing

Only 16% of the project's footprint will reach the DMUC's proposed maximum height limit of 160 feet

Screening for rooftop mechanicals, and design guidance from the Great Streets Initiative for the new public improvements

Important Documents:

For more detailed information about what is currently proposed for redevelopment of the Burlington Town Center site, you won’t want to miss these documents: